


Light Up The Season

by Lurkz



Series: Heartlines [9]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Chanukah, F/F, Romantic Comedy, jewish!Alex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21914458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkz/pseuds/Lurkz
Summary: Alex Danvers hates going back to Smallville for the holidays. Dealing with the sheer amounts of Christmas everywhere isn't really her cup of tea. But then, she hadn't run into high school acquaintance Maggie Sawyer in previous years either. Reconnecting with Maggie may at least make this year's trip more tolerable. Or maybe something more.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Series: Heartlines [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/923889
Comments: 23
Kudos: 186
Collections: Secret Sanvers | A Sanvers Winter Holiday 2019 Event





	Light Up The Season

**Author's Note:**

  * For [performativezippers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/performativezippers/gifts).



> Happy Chanukah, Zipps!! I really hope you enjoy the fic. I hope it can bring a little bit of light to you.
> 
> Now that the reveal is done, thank you @ironicpotential for all your help and advice!!!

Alex sighed heavily as she stepped off the plane in Metropolis. She glanced around out of habit but saw no one she recognized. Which was as it should be given she hadn’t told her family when she was arriving. Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, Alex took a moment to get her bearings then headed for ground transportation. She wasn’t looking forward to the still multiple hours of transportation left to get to the farm. Admittedly, the only time she liked spending multiple hours on the road was riding her motorcycle. This particular trip was even further down on her list of “drives she enjoyed” than most, but she could no more refuse to come home for the holidays than fly to the moon. So here she was. In Metropolis. About to rent a car for the drive to _Smallville_.

Fortunately, the drive itself was uneventful. Alex sighed heavily as she got out in front of the farmhouse. Briefly she gave serious thought to getting right back in the car and driving back to Metropolis. But skipping out just led to guilt-tripping and she wasn’t in the mood for that. Squaring her shoulders, Alex headed for the door, one hand wrapped tightly around the strap of her bag. She tugged the door open and was immediately assaulted by bright lights and red and green.

It took only a moment for both Kara and Clark’s heads to swivel toward her with matching smiles.

“Alex, hey!” Kara stood first to give her a hug followed by Clark.

Alex returned them slightly stiffly. “Hey, Kara. Clark.”

Martha followed closely with a warm smile. “You should’ve told us when you were getting in.”

Alex shrugged awkwardly as she returned the hug from Martha. “It was fine.” They had the same exchange every year. She stepped back, still hanging onto her bag a little desperately. “Where’s Jonathan and Lois?”

She didn’t miss the slight tightening in everyone’s expression at her ongoing unwillingness to use “aunt” and “uncle” but ignored it.

Martha answered. “His senate session ran late. He’ll be here tomorrow morning in plenty of time for the party, though.”

Clark jumped in next. “Lois is wrapping up a story. She’ll be in late tonight.”

Alex nodded stiffly. “Great. Well… I’ll just go put my bag down.”

“Of course.” Martha smiled again. “There’s cookies and some leftovers if you’re hungry.”

Alex half-nodded and immediately made for the stairs. Dropping her bag on the floor next to the twin bed she’d used in high school, Alex sat heavily on the bed. She dropped her head to her hands for a moment, taking a second to center herself. It was always tough being back here, a vivid reminder of what she’d lost, but especially at this time of year where she was also bombarded by a holiday celebration she didn’t share.

A soft knock on the door made her straighten. “Yes?”

Kara poked her head around the door. “Clark and I are going into town to listen to the carolers. Do you want to come?”

“Uh, no thanks. I’m… really tired from traveling. I’ll probably just crash early.”

Kara nodded and left with a tiny smile. Alex sighed as the door shut quietly. She knew she should go downstairs and socialize with Martha at least a little bit. She took a deep breath. At least Christmas hadn’t invaded the bedroom. Yet.

Tucking her phone into her pocket out of habit, Alex made her way quietly downstairs. She paused at the bottom of the stairs, taking in the family room and kitchen. Her initial impression upon entering the house had been spot on. The tree was glittering brightly, hung with a variety of Christmas ornaments ranging from sentimental (Clark’s childhood ornaments and ones from Jonathan) to religious to carefully subtle Krypton references (Kara’s later additions). Christmas decorations were everywhere else. Garland with lights strung the mantle above stockings with everyone’s names on them. Red, green, and white had turned the Kent home into a Christmas wonderland—just like every year. There was a chanukiah set out also. Not her parents’. That one was safely in Alex’s apartment in National City. It was off to the side. Alex was pretty sure most people wouldn’t even notice it if they didn’t know it was there.

She stepped into the kitchen, finding the plate of cookies sitting out. She sighed quietly at the pile of very Christmas themed sugar cookies. Taking the most secular one she could find—a stocking—she moved toward the family room. She cleared her throat quietly as she stepped closer to the couch where Martha sat.

Martha looked over with a smile. “Oh, Alex. Kara and Clark said you’d stayed behind.”

Alex nodded, settling into the recliner. “Yeah, I uh… just didn’t feel up to carols.” She never felt up for carols.

Martha just nodded, accepting the same excuse Alex gave each year. “I see you found the cookies.”

“Oh, yes. They’re great. Thanks.” Alex half-smiled. They _were_ good, even if they were always depressingly Christmasy.

“How was your flight?”

“Good. Uneventful.” Alex paused. “How’s everything on the farm?”

Martha nodded. “It’s going well. No recent disasters. How’s your job?”

Alex nodded. “Great. Busy but uh, at least it’s warm in National City.”

Martha nodded with an only slightly awkward smile. “That’s great.”

Alex nodded again, taking another bite of cookie to try and make things marginally less awkward. They’d never been very close. Kara had slipped into her role in the family much easier than Alex ever had. In her case, it really was more like a distant aunt/uncle situation rather than parents. Made all the worse at this time of year where Alex had to be even more forcibly confronted with the reality that she just didn’t quite fit.

She let her gaze glance over the room, skittering away from the decorations and settling on the pictures on the mantle. Family pictures. Some from when Clark was young. A few from after she and Kara had come to live on the farm. She couldn’t help but see the posture difference. Kara was tucked right against Clark. Alex… a little off to the side. Not enough to be really noticeable but… distance. Only a couple even had her in them. She’d been pretty isolated. Not generally around for activities involving picture taking.

Alex forced another smile. “So the party starts at six, right?”

“Right.” Martha gave her a warm smile.

Alex nodded and stood. “I uh… I think I’m gonna get some air then turn in. It was stuffy on the plane.”

“Of course. Good night, Alex.”

“Night, Martha.” Alex flashed another small smile and headed out the back door. She sighed and leaned against the porch railing, staring absently into the darkness. She barely registered when the family room light went out behind her, leaving the first floor of the house in darkness. Alex dropped her head for a moment. It wasn’t really that she _hated_ Smallville or the Kents per se. But everything was just… too close here. Too many reminders of what she’d lost. She felt a little guilty. After all, Kara had lost _everything_ , her whole _planet_. But… Kara had Clark. Alex had no one.

Alex sighed again and pushed herself back upright. With one last glance across the dark farm, Alex headed inside to bed. She wanted to be asleep before Kara and Clark returned.

* * *

Alex hovered awkwardly at the edge of the crowd sipping at a beer. As stated, both Lois and Jonathan had been at the house by morning and the day had passed in a whirlwind of party preparation. Now, the house was full of people from not just Smallville but also other nearby towns and seemed to somehow be even fuller of Christmas than before. Unsurprising, given Jonathan’s position as senator, but it also meant Alex knew even fewer of them than if it was just people from Smallville. She’d barely even seen any members of her family since the party started.

Alex had just taken a sip of her beer when Lois appeared at her side. Alex glanced over, arching an eyebrow as she murmured, “Think of the devil and she shall appear.”

Lois flashed a grin. “You were thinking of me, Agent?”

Alex shrugged a shoulder and turned her gaze back to the crowd with a small smile. She had to admit, she had always liked Lois. As far as she was concerned, marrying Lois was the best decision Clark ever made. “You wish, Lane.”

Lois laughed. “Enjoying the party?”

Alex shot her an unamused look. “Oh yeah. So much,” she deadpanned.

Lois laughed again at her expression. “You know, maybe if you didn’t look like you wanted to murder anyone that comes near you…”

Alex shrugged again. “I don’t know these people.”

Lois looked out over the party speculatively. “True. They aren’t half bad. For the most part. Some leave something to be desired for sure, though. Side effect of Jonathan’s job I suppose.”

Alex nodded. “Where’s Clark?”

Lois waved her free hand vaguely. “Talking with someone from high school.”

Alex smiled tightly. She didn’t have the fondest memories of Smallville High. Not that she’d been bullied or anything. Clark and Kara would not have permitted that. But still. It wasn’t _her_ high school. She’d kept to herself and never quite fit in despite being at least adjacent to Clark and Kara’s friend group.

“Right. I’m just gonna…” she waved vaguely at the backdoor.

Lois shot her a knowing and slightly sympathetic smile. “Sure thing, Alex. See you later.”

Alex nodded and ducked out of the house, deftly dodging partygoers and decorations. She grabbed a new beer from the cooler by the back door, depositing her empty bottle on a tray, before ducking outside. Once the door had shut behind her, Alex took a deep breath, relishing the quiet. The party noises were muffled now and the porch was pleasantly dimmer. The garland wrapped around the railing was lit and light spilled from the family room windows but was still a far cry from the bright lights of inside. She popped the bottle cap off with the bottle opener attached to the wall and nearly hidden by yet more garland. Moving to the edge of the porch, Alex rested her forearms against the top of the railing and gazed into the darkness.

It was snowing lightly and the light from the house reflected off the thin layer of snow that had built up over the day courtesy of a few relatively short snow showers. Alex wondered if anyone would miss her if she left. She rather doubted it. At least not immediately. Sure, eventually her family would wonder where she went but they also were used to her isolationist ways so she doubted anyone would come looking unless it got truly late. She’d put in an appearance at the party for over an hour after all. It was quite nearly a record for her. And that record had been set when she was far younger and with far fewer options—or confidence in straying too far.

She had just decided that a walk around the property in the snow was a good idea when the door opened behind her. Assuming it was Lois, or some other member of her family, she didn’t bother to turn and look. Unlike any of her family members, however, the newcomer didn’t speak immediately, simply joined her at the railing. Alex looked sidelong, one eyebrow arched curiously. The woman that had joined her looked vaguely familiar and, if Alex was being completely honest, gorgeous.

Alex watched as she looked around curiously then fixed her gaze on Alex’s bottle for a moment before finally meeting Alex’s gaze with a wry smile. “Okay, I’ll bite. Where’s the bottle opener you used to open that?”

Alex quirked a half-smile in return. “Maybe I used my teeth. We’re in small town Kansas after all.”

The woman just laughed. “I don’t think you could pay me enough to believe that, Alex Danvers.”

Alex’s smile turned curious but she also felt wary. She’d spent too much time in the DEO at this point to not be cautious of people that knew her when she didn’t know them. “You know me.”

The woman arched an eyebrow with an amused smile. “And you know me.”

Alex studied her for several quiet seconds, sifting through her memory. After a moment, it clicked. She’d moved to Smallville only the year before Alex and Kara to live with her cousin for reasons never explicitly stated but the rumor mill had speculated on heavily. “Maggie Sawyer.”

Maggie inclined her head in a sardonic nod. “It’s Sheriff Sawyer now.”

Alex’s eyebrows raised in mild surprise. “Oh really?”

Maggie held up her beer. “Bottle opener first.”

Alex surprised herself by letting out a short laugh. “Of course.” She waved at the wall behind Maggie. “It’s over there. Hiding behind that garland.”

Maggie stepped over and deftly opened her bottle, dropping the cap in the nearby bin for that purpose. “Thanks. So, to answer your question, yes, really. Moved back about a year ago.”

Alex cocked her head curiously. “Last I heard you were a cop in Metropolis. Why back to Smallville?”

Maggie shrugged, rejoining Alex at the railing and gazing out into the dark. “It’s a good job. Seemed like a good idea.” She lapsed back into silence.

Alex studied her profile for a long moment before turning to mirror Maggie’s position. “Makes sense.” It really didn’t but Alex didn’t feel it was her place to challenge Maggie’s assertion.

“You disagree.”

Alex shrugged, flicking a sidelong glance at Maggie. “Not my decision.”

“True.” Alex caught a speculative look aimed her direction out of the corner of her eye but kept her gaze trained on the property. After a pause, Maggie continued, “What about you? What are you up to nowadays, Danvers?”

Alex contemplated her answer for a moment. “Not much. I’m a scientist and sometimes field agent for the FBI in National City.”

Maggie snorted. “Not much, she says.”

Alex quirked a small smile. It was her turn to shrug. It’s not like she was about to tell anyone the truth.

“What kind of science?”

“Bioengineering.”

Maggie let out a low whistle. “Impressive.”

Alex shrugged again. “I suppose.”

She glanced over at sudden movement and found Maggie now leaning her hip against the railing, studying her with a slight frown. Alex looked away, waiting for the other woman to speak.

Eventually, Maggie asked, “So why hide out here? Certainly you could be in there impressing some guy with a fancy pedigree and a lot of money or political pull.”

Alex let out a short laugh. “Uh, no. For one, I don’t care for parties.” She ignored Maggie’s murmured “yeah, thought I remembered that about you” and continued, “For another, I have absolutely no desire to impress a _guy_.” She smirked a little at Maggie’s quiet “oh” at the last comment.

“Why are _you_ out here? Surely you know far more of these people than I do.”

Maggie inclined her head slightly. “True. But I was curious.”

“About?”

“The elusive Alex Danvers.” Alex snorted and Maggie continued as if she hadn’t heard. “Comes home, where she hasn’t been since _last_ Christmas, only to barely spend an hour at the Kent Christmas Party before leaving so she can apparently open and nurse her beer outside. No holiday cheer from the prodigal niece?”

Alex tried not to cringe at the characterization of it all being about Christmas. “Noticed all that did you?” she asked, a little sourly.

“I used to be a detective, Agent Danvers. I detect.”

Alex gave her a sidelong look. “You don’t know me, Sawyer.”

“Used to.”

“Not that well,” Alex shot back. It was true. They’d somewhat run in the same circles in high school given Maggie was Lana’s cousin and Lana had been dancing around whatever the hell with Clark for so long. But still, they weren’t _close_. Not that Alex had been close to anyone back then—or now for that matter. Neither had Maggie.

Maggie cocked her head a little bit, studying Alex. “Maybe not. But still. So what is it then? Just hate crowds? Too bright? Not a fan of cookies and pies?”

“Maybe all of the above.” Maggie’s eyes narrowed slightly and Alex deliberately avoided her gaze, staring out into the farm.

“Not a fan of Smallville, huh?” Alex shrugged without answering and Maggie continued. “Or maybe just not a fan of Christmas. The Grinch visiting from National City?”

Alex’s patience with the interrogation snapped and she straightened. “See you around, Sheriff Sawyer.” She didn’t wait for an answer before stepping lightly down the stairs and walking off into the darkness of the farm. She heard an annoyed sigh behind her but no following footsteps. Eventually, just after she turned around the corner of the barn and was out of sight of the house, she heard the back door open and close again. She sighed and took a swig of beer as she continued her walk. With luck, she could avoid returning until the party was over.

* * *

Maggie strolled down the street a half step behind Lana and Nell, absently glancing in windows as they walked. Her cousin and aunt were chattering amiably about something or other with Lana’s job and Maggie was content to simply half-listen and walk in the brisk weather, carrying her few purchases. Last minute Christmas shopping wasn’t really _fun_ , per se, but she always rather enjoyed it nonetheless.

It was only a couple days until Christmas and she had the day off in preparation for working both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But she didn’t really mind that either. She’d often worked holidays as a cop and detective in Metropolis. Even with the acceptance from Nell and Lana, holidays were still often rough on her and she preferred to work and take her mind off of the rest of the family that had made it so abundantly clear she was no longer part of them. They hadn’t taken kindly to Nell taking her in either. An action that had garnered so much praise from Maggie’s immediate family when it was Lana was considered a betrayal when it was the gay daughter instead.

A glimpse of a familiar profile shook Maggie out of her thoughts. She arched an eyebrow at the near scowl on Alex Danvers’ face. The other woman was across the street, staring moodily in the window of a shop. Maggie hesitated. She’d been wanting to apologize since the party the other day. She hadn’t meant to drive Alex off or upset her. She acknowledged that it was all too easy for her to fall into interrogating people. A trait that stood her in good stead in her job but not so much in her personal life. Alex intrigued her and she wanted to know more. She always had even though she’d been far too scared to act on it in high school. Unfortunately, she’d realized too late at the party that pushing for that knowledge was the exact wrong approach for getting to know Alex, however.

Making up her mind, Maggie quickly told Lana and Nell she would catch up with them later then hurried across the street. By the time she had made it to Alex’s side, the scowl on the other woman’s face had subsided slightly, instead settling into a more generally frustrated look.

Maggie glanced into the window of the shop, following Alex’s gaze. She stuffed her hands in her jacket, as she commented, “So, what’d the window do to you, Danvers?”

Alex barely flicked a glance in her direction. “Sheriff Sawyer.”

Maggie contained a sigh. “You can call me Maggie. Unless, of course, I have to arrest you for something.” She smiled teasingly, hoping to pull a smile from the other woman.

Alex’s lips twitched in the faintest of smiles, vanished almost before it appeared. She didn’t reply.

Maggie grimaced slightly, deciding the best option was to dive right into it. “Danvers, about the other night…”

That got Alex’s attention. She turned to face Maggie, one eyebrow arching expectantly.

Maggie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Look, I’m sorry if I pressed too hard.”

“If?”

Maggie’s lips quirked in a small, wry smile. “I’m sorry _for_ pushing too hard. Buy you a coffee to make up for it?” Alex hesitated and Maggie cocked her head. “Don’t tell me you’re the one fed that _doesn’t_ drink coffee.”

Alex chuckled briefly before her lips twisted into a wry grimace. “Far from it. But I, ah, need to finish some shopping.”

Maggie looked past her at the shop. “I take it that’s not going so well judging by the look you were giving the shop window.”

Alex looked back over at the window. She seemed to weigh her answer before finally responding. “Not so much.”

“Who are you shopping for?”

“Lois and Kara.”

“Ah.” Maggie contemplated the answer for a moment. “Well, they’re both reporters, right?”

Alex’s lips pursed but she answered. “It seems to run in the family.”

“Except for you.”

Alex shrugged. “I didn’t say it ran in mine.”

Maggie narrowed her eyes, sifting through her memories. She knew Clark was adopted but assumed that since Kara was, apparently, his blood cousin, her sister was too.

Alex seemed to detect her confusion and glanced over. With a faint smirk, she elaborated briefly, “Kara was adopted.”

Maggie nodded slowly, slotting the puzzle piece in with the others, slowly building a picture of Alex Danvers that didn’t quite match with the one she’d had from high school. Setting that aside for the moment, she focused on the task at hand. “Well, how about I help you out then we grab that coffee?”

This time Alex fully turned to face her, expression a mix of wary and thoughtful. After several seconds, during which time Maggie fought off the urge to start fidgeting under Alex’s intense gaze, Alex finally spoke. “You and me?”

“Yes. Something wrong with that?”

Alex cocked her head slightly, expression edging more toward thoughtful though Maggie could still see the wariness lurking even though Alex hid it well. “No. Just unexpected. Sure, Sawyer. I’m generally up for free caffeine.”

Maggie chuckled. “Good to know. Well, what were you thinking of?”

Alex shrugged a little. “Maybe notebooks or something.”

Maggie barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “How about something a bit more personal? I assume this is for Christmas?” She didn’t miss the slight twitch at the statement but Alex nodded anyway. Filing it away for later, Maggie continued, “Well, what sort of things do they like?”

Alex shrugged again. “We aren’t exactly close, Sawyer,” she pointed out.

Maggie sighed a little. “Sure, but you have to know _something_ they like.”

Alex was quiet for a bit, considering. “Kara likes old stuff. Things with history. Lois… honestly mostly Lois just talks about how busy they are.”

Maggie laughed. That sounded like Lois. She knew Clark better, courtesy of Lana’s longtime friendship with him, but she had become pretty friendly with his wife, too, since moving back to Smallville. She glanced over at the store again. It was a general office supply store. “Well, there’s a vintage shop down the road. How about we check that out for Kara?”

Alex nodded slightly. “Sure. Why not?” She sounded more resigned than anything. Not… displeased, per se. But not as excited as Maggie was used to people being for Christmas shopping, even granting how last minute it was.

She frowned thoughtfully but started leading the way toward the vintage shop. After walking in silence for a short time, she ventured, “So, Danvers, I don’t see you around Smallville much.”

Alex glanced over with an arched eyebrow. “No, you don’t.”

Maggie pursed her lips in mild annoyance. “And why is that?”

Alex scoffed a little. “Why would you? I only come back for the holidays. And that’s mostly to avoid the guilt trips.”

“Long trip?”

Alex nodded. “National City.” She paused, then added, looking almost surprised at herself for elaborating, “Even if I lived closer, you wouldn’t see me around much.”

“You hate coming home that much?”

Alex’s expression immediately closed off. Her voice was cool as she replied, “Smallville isn’t my home.”

Well, Maggie could certainly relate to that sentiment, even if she’d eventually realized Smallville was more home than Blue Springs had been. “Sorry.”

After a moment, Alex relaxed again. “It’s fine.”

Maggie wanted to keep digging but she sensed that doing so would just end up in the same result as the other day. Instead, she changed the subject. “So tell me more about your job. Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting you to have become a fed.”

Alex smirked a little. “Why’s that?”

Maggie contemplated her answer a little as they strolled along. “You just always struck me as someone who would end up doing something a little more… dull.” She winced at how that sounded. “That came out wrong. I mean, I just figured you would be the type to end up in a lab somewhere doing research. FBI wasn’t really anything I’d have guessed. Especially field work.”

Alex gave her an amused look, not appearing offended by her gaffe. “Well, in high school I may have agreed with you.” She looked forward again and shrugged. “Things change.”

Maggie smiled. “Apparently so.”

“What about you? I wasn’t exactly expecting to find you back in Smallville full time. As I recall, you were pretty adamant in high school about getting out of small towns.”

Maggie grimaced, commenting sourly, “Yeah well, that was before we had a bunch of ‘heroes’ causing endless damage in the cities.” She looked over at Alex in time to catch a slightly surprised but not upset look on the other woman’s face. She narrowed her eyes slightly. “You don’t seem too offended by that sentiment.”

“Why would I be?”

“Most people prefer to focus on all the ‘good’ our resident superheroes do. They tend to not appreciate reminders of the downsides.”

Alex smirked a little though she didn’t look at Maggie. “You’re entitled to your opinion. First amendment and all, right?”

“Sure.” She could tell there was more to it. Before she could try to dig for more, they arrived at the shop. Setting aside the topic for revisiting later, Maggie waved a hand at the window, decorated beautifully for Christmas. “Here we are. Hopefully they’ll have something that works for Kara.”

Alex nodded and entered the shop wordlessly. She threw a tight smile at the owner at her cheery greeting. Maggie was pretty sure that was just Alex’s nature, however. She recalled that the other woman hadn’t exactly been a social butterfly in high school. Things had apparently not changed much in that regard. Maggie moved over to the counter, leaving Alex to look around. “Hey, Mrs. Miller.”

Mrs. Miller smiled broadly at Maggie. “Why hello there, Sheriff.”

“How’s everything going? Any trouble?”

“None at all, Sheriff. Busy with the holidays but no trouble.” The woman smiled warmly.

Maggie flashed a grin in response. Building relationships with the community—whether her beat in Metropolis or here in Smallville—had always been one of the things she loved most about being a cop.

“That’s great.” She looked over at Alex who was browsing a shelf of random knick-knacks but had a vaguely aimless look on her face but was somehow managing to still carry herself stiffly, as if expecting trouble. It made her look somehow simultaneously out of place and adorable. Suppressing a smile, Maggie looked back at the owner. “Do you have anything that would work for a reporter? Maybe an old writing kit or something?”

The woman considered for a moment then her face lit up in another smile. “I think I have just the thing. Come with me.”

Maggie stepped over to Alex and lightly touched her arm. When the other woman whirled sharply, Maggie stepped back quickly, hands raised. “Whoa, hey, Danvers.”

Alex let out a breath and relaxed. She looked apologetic, and maybe a little sheepish, as she said, “Sorry.”

“Not a problem. Come with me. Mrs. Miller has something that could work.”

Alex nodded and gestured for Maggie to precede her.

They found Mrs. Miller deeper in the shop, a hopeful expression on her face. “We just got this in recently.” She gestured at an old-fashioned typewriter. “It belonged to the founder of the _Smallville Ledger_. He wrote many of his stories on it.”

Maggie flashed Alex a grin, one that deepened at the temporarily almost stunned look on the other woman’s face when their eyes met. She was well aware of the effect her dimples had on women and wasn’t exactly displeased to see a familiar expression on the gorgeous Alex Danvers’ face. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Whatcha think, Danvers?”

Alex blinked and almost instantly the composed expression Maggie was beginning to get used to was back. She looked over the typewriter thoughtfully. After a moment, she nodded. “Yeah, sure. She’ll like it.”

“Great!” Maggie turned back to Mrs. Miller. “Thank you so much.”

Mrs. Miller beamed at them both. “Wonderful. I’ll take this up to the counter. Feel free to browse and let me know when you’re ready.”

“Will do.” Maggie turned back to Alex once Mrs. Miller had left and found the other woman looking a little awkward. She smirked a little. “What’s the matter, Danvers? Browsing not your thing either?”

Alex shrugged a little, looking around. “I don’t shop much, no. I’m more of a ‘get what you need and go’ kind of girl.”

Maggie chuckled. “Yeah, I can see that. We don’t have to stay.”

Surprisingly, Alex hesitated. “No… let’s uh… let’s look around.”

Maggie raised an eyebrow but opted against commenting. She had a feeling commenting would close Alex off again. Instead, she merely said, “Sure. I’ve found some neat things here before.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

Maggie gave Alex a searching look but the other woman had already turned away, studying the books on a nearby shelf. She sounded genuinely interested though. “Some old books. Old school sheriff badge. Shelf for my bonsai trees.”

Alex turned back to her, a smile that looked almost… charmed… on her face. “Bonsai trees, huh?”

Maggie shrugged a little self-consciously. She’d definitely had girlfriends in the past that thought it was weird. “Yeah. I like them. I have several.”

Alex kept studying her for several seconds with that same smile. “Interesting.”

“What about you? Any hobbies?”

Alex’s smile turned self-deprecating before she turned back to the books. “Nothing so interesting.”

“There’s gotta be something.”

Alex was silent for several long moments and Maggie was pretty sure she wasn’t going to answer. Sighing quietly, she turned back to her own browsing then startled when Alex’s voice broke the silence again. “I used to surf. Nowadays I mostly work on my bike when I have free time. Or go for a ride.”

Maggie looked back at Alex, finding her back facing Maggie. “That’s pretty cool, Danvers.” The other woman’s shoulders moved in a jerky motion that couldn’t quite be called a shrug. “What kind of bike?” Maggie sincerely hoped the woman meant “motorcycle” and not “bicycle.”

Alex turned around again, eyes suddenly shining. Maggie felt her breath catch. She’d thought Alex was beautiful before but seeing her suddenly so excited was breathtaking. “A Ducati Monster. She’s my baby.”

“Nice.” Maggie grinned, flashing her dimples. “Got a Triumph Bonneville T100 myself.”

Alex nodded slowly, a sexy grin spreading across her face. “Very nice.” It was Maggie’s turn to feel slightly stunned. She wondered if Alex Danvers knew what that smile did to people. If the glint in the woman’s eyes was any indication, she definitely did. Eventually, Alex broke eye contact and glanced around. “Well, how about that coffee?”

Maggie arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you need to find something for Lois?”

Alex waved a hand. “I’ll get her a spa certificate or something.”

Maggie paused. “That’s… actually a really great idea.”

Alex gave her a wry look. “Don’t sound so surprised, Sawyer. I’m not completely oblivious.” Alex flashed a brief smirk before heading to the front to pay.

Maggie shook her head with a small chuckle before following.

* * *

Maggie watched with a smile as Alex walked past her into the Talon, giving her an almost shy smile as Maggie held the door. Alex paused just inside with a small grimace and took a deep breath. Tentatively, Maggie rested a hand on her back. “Everything okay?”

Alex glanced over. “Yeah. Just… not a huge fan of crowds.”

“We can go,” Maggie offered immediately.

Alex shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”

Maggie studied her. “It’s clearly not. How about we get the coffee and walk? Smallville’s pretty this time of year.” Alex hesitated then inclined her head slightly in acquiescence. Maggie read the hesitance and teased gently, “That afraid of the cold, California girl?”

That pulled a small smile from Alex. “What can I say? You can take the girl out of California…”

“Well, let’s get you something warm, surfer girl.” Maggie smiled warmly and led the way to the counter. She didn’t miss the warm smile in response to her teasing. At the counter, Maggie looked over at Alex. “Do you trust me?”

Alex arched an eyebrow at her. “Are we reenacting Aladdin now, Sheriff?”

Maggie rolled her eyes to hide the endeared look at the reference. “My guess is you’ll just order a plain black coffee so… do you trust me to order for you?”

Alex looked at her warily but finally nodded. “Yes.”

“Great.” Maggie flashed a smile then turned to the barista. “Two gingerbread lattes to go, please.”

She looked back to Alex just in time to catch the skeptical look. “Gingerbread?” Alex asked.

“Trust me.”

Alex sighed but nodded, waiting patiently for her coffee while Maggie chatted amiably with the barista. Once they’d received the two cups—in festive green and red colors—Alex immediately led the way back outside after Maggie had paid. Maggie watched in amusement as Alex took a tentative sip. Alex seemed to consider the taste for a moment, taking a second sip before finally declaring, not entirely concealing her surprise, “It’s good.”

Maggie laughed softly, taking a sip of her own drink. “Thought you might like it.”

Alex took another sip, gazing into space thoughtfully before elaborating. “Not too sweet. Just enough spice. Surprisingly decent choice, Sawyer.”

“She says with a tone of surprise.”

Alex laughed softly. “It’s not what I would’ve pictured you ordering,” she admitted.

“And what do you think I would’ve ordered?”

Alex looked over, studying her even as she deftly avoided running into people as they walked along. “Black. Sweetener of some sort. No cream.”

Maggie couldn’t hide the impressed look. “Surprisingly accurate, Danvers. I use honey. Just for, you know, future reference.” She smirked a little, curious to see how Alex responded to the implications.

Alex smirked in return, though the expression was mostly hidden by her coffee cup. “Noted. I generally drink the same. For future reference.” Her smirk deepened and Maggie grinned a little, looking away.

They walked in silence for a little while before Alex broke the silence, to Maggie’s surprise. “So, Sheriff Maggie Sawyer, you seem to have made quite a name for yourself here.”

Maggie looked at Alex sharply. “What’s that supposed to mean.”

“Just that you seem to know everyone,” Alex replied mildly, clearly unfazed by Maggie’s look.

“Well, it’s a small town.”

This garnered a look. “There’s more to it than that.”

Maggie paused for a moment. “I like finding communities. Helping form them. Whether in a small town or big city.” Alex made an interested noise but didn’t comment. After a few seconds, Maggie found herself elaborating. “It’s what attracted me to police work in the first place. My… my dad was a cop. Or, probably still is. Whatever. He always seemed to know everyone. They respected him. Felt comfortable coming to him with problems.” She shrugged a little, not entirely sure why she was even telling Alex this. “I wanted to do the same. Even if we maybe don’t see eye to eye on _which_ communities need the most help.”

With that, Maggie buried her nose in her coffee, trying not to look at Alex, afraid she had said too much. She fancied she could feel the other woman’s speculative gaze resting on her profile.

Eventually, Alex spoke. “Makes sense. I suppose Nell and Lana are at least better in that regard.”

Maggie dared a glance over and found Alex gazing ahead, expression thoughtful. Quietly, she replied, “Yeah, they are.”

Alex nodded slightly. “The Kents and Kara are the same.” She paused, then added, “I would’ve thought a big city would be better for that.”

Maggie smiled a little and nodded. It wasn’t really an _explicit_ statement but… it was pretty close to full confirmation that what she’d suspected based on Alex’s comment about “not pleasing a guy” had meant. Ignoring Alex’s subtle comment about the big city, she pried gently, “I notice you divide Kara and the Kents.”

Alex’s jaw tensed slightly and Maggie was afraid she’d already blown it. But then Alex was talking. “Kara and Clark are blood cousins. But my parents did formally adopt her when she came to live with us. She’s still a Danvers rather than a Kent.”

Maggie nodded slightly. That was what she’d recalled from high school. “Explains why Kara and Clark are so close. Did they already know each other before?”

Alex nodded. “Yes. Though it had been many years since they’d seen each other.” She paused, then continued, voice a bit tighter than before. “The Kents were who found her and notified my parents. They’d known each other since Clark was little.”

“So it was only reasonable that you both come out here after… uh… after.” Maggie caught herself at the last moment, figuring “after your parents died” was a bit too rude.

Alex nodded curtly. “Look, Sawyer, if you want to know more about my sister, ask her. She’s not gay, as far as I know, but really you should give it a try if you’re interested.”

She started to turn away and Maggie grabbed her arm. “No, Alex, wait!” She dropped Alex’s arm when Alex whirled back to her, face like a thundercloud. Maggie stepped back, holding her hands out carefully. “Don’t leave. I’m sorry. I wasn’t just trying to learn about Kara. I was trying to learn about _you_.”

Alex looked at her for several tense seconds, eyes narrowed and expression wary. Finally, she relaxed and nodded a little. “Sorry. It’s… I’m used to… nevermind.”

Maggie tried quietly. “People being more interested in Kara?”

Alex nodded slightly but didn’t speak.

Maggie tried a small smile. “Well, they’re missing out.”

That drew a wry laugh from Alex, but she no longer looked like she was about to bolt. “I doubt many people, including my ex-girlfriends, would agree with you.”

Maggie shrugged, falling back in step next to Alex as they resumed walking. “Seems to me like they’re just idiots.”

Alex chuckled again. “My last one said I was hard-headed, insensitive, and too obsessed with work.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Also that I’m a borderline sociopath and she never wanted to see me again. She even moved out of National City to prove it.”

“Her loss,” Maggie commented simply. She may not know Alex _that_ well, but she already could tell that whatever Alex’s exes thought, they were wrong. She added, “Mine have frequently said the same thing. Though, there was a change of pace where she said I was ‘boring.’ So that was amusing really.”

Alex snorted. “Somehow I doubt ‘boring’ is ever an accurate characterization for you.”

Maggie chuckled. “Well, guess it depends on your definition.”

Alex arched an eyebrow over at her. “What was hers?”

Maggie grinned a little wryly. “Pool halls and bars. Horror movies rather than romantic comedies. Bonsai trees. Sports games.”

Alex hummed a little. “Sounds far from boring to me.”

Maggie smiled to herself and they lapsed into silence. After another couple moments of quiet walking, she commented dryly, with just a hint of humor, “You know. This is the closest thing to a date I’ve had in a long time.”

Alex gave her a little smile. “Same, Sawyer.”

Maggie smirked and decided to push a little. “So, Danvers, if it _was_ a first date—which it obviously couldn’t be—what would you ask?”

“Oh, obviously.” Alex chuckled. “Hm… Usually I start out asking about the other person’s job but I suppose we covered that a bit. There’s always the weather…” She trailed off with a teasing grin.

“Below freezing with a fifty percent chance of snow after six p.m.” Maggie answered promptly, laughing.

Alex laughed also. “I also might ask what you do for fun but sounds like we got that covered, too.”

“What is this, a job interview?” Maggie joked.

Alex rolled her eyes but laughed. “No, I save that for the second date. But obviously we’d have to have a first to hit a second.”

“Obviously.” Maggie considered. “What about you, Danvers? Tell me a bit about _your_ job and what you do for fun.”

Alex shrugged a little, taking the last sip of her coffee and throwing the cup in a nearby trashcan. “Really not much to tell. Like I said the other day, I’m a scientist. Like both of my parents were. I have a PhD and MD, focus in bioengineering. I work for the FBI, primarily in a lab and sometimes I get to go out in the field.”

Maggie whistled lowly. “Damn, Danvers. So you’re, what? Doctor Doctor Danvers?”

Alex blushed a little, barely noticeable given the cold weather. “I suppose so, yes.”

“Impressive. Most impressive.”

“Thanks, Darth Vader,” she replied dryly.

Maggie chuckled. “Nice catch. Nerd.”

Alex looked at her sidelong, one eyebrow arched sardonically. “I’m not the one who made the reference in the first place.”

“Touché, Danvers. What about for fun?”

Alex shrugged a little, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Work on my bike. Play pool when I have time, usually with coworkers. As you noted, finding a girlfriend that likes pool halls can be difficult. If I have time anyway. Otherwise… I read a lot. Watch documentaries.” She shrugged, clearly a little self-conscious. “That ‘boring’ moniker fits me pretty well, really.”

“Doesn’t sound that boring to me,” Maggie said softly.

Alex smiled a little but didn’t reply. Instead, she asked, “What about you? If it were a first date what would _you_ ask?”

“Ah, hm.” Maggie considered. She couldn’t very well tell Alex it was basically the same things as her after teasing her about it being a job interview.

Alex seemed to sense the dilemma and commented slyly, “Oh, suddenly the job interview questions aren’t so bad, huh?”

Maggie laughed and nodded. “Fair enough. Favorite movie?”

“ _Terminator Two_. You?”

“Solid choice. _Alien_. Obviously completely goofy now but… it stuck with me. Plus, Sigourney Weaver.”

Alex nodded. “Excellent choice and points. Favorite food?”

“Is it too stereotypical to say coffee and donuts?” At Alex’s look, she laughed. “Kidding. That’s a toughie. Not sure I can say I have a favorite. Yours?”

Alex smiled, a little sadly. “My mom’s lasagna. But pizza is pretty up there.”

Maggie nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I get that. My mom’s tamales are still… yeah.”

Alex smiled a little. After a few minutes of silence, she asked, “So, do you cook?”

Maggie smiled. “I do. It’s relaxing and fun. What about you?”

“What do you think?”

Maggie studied her for a moment. “You don’t strike me as the cooking type.”

Alex laughed a little. “You’d be wrong. I will admit, I don’t cook as often as I’d like or should. But I’m quite capable of it. I sort of had to be.”

Maggie’s brow furrowed at the bitter tinge to the last words. But Alex continued before she could do more than even consider pressing.

“Breakfast is probably what I cook most since it’s easier to account for the time for that. But I try to make dinner at least a couple times a week rather than rely on takeout.”

Maggie nodded. “Makes sense.”

Alex glanced at the lengthening shadows then at her watch. “Well, as much fun as this is, I should pick up Kara’s gift and get back to the farm.”

“We could do dinner.”

Alex hesitated then gave her a brief smile. “Maybe some other time. Thanks for the coffee and the gift suggestion, Sawyer.”

“Anytime, Danvers.” They both stood awkwardly for a moment then Alex gave her an almost military nod before pivoting and crossing the street to the antique store that they’d nearly looped back to, where Kara’s gift was being held at the counter for her. Maggie watched and raised a hand in an only slightly awkward goodbye when Alex paused briefly to wave before entering the store. Maggie heaved a small sigh and continued back toward the Talon, where her truck was parked.

* * *

Alex took a deep breath before exiting the rental car. She left her shopping bags inside, figuring she would bring them inside later to at least give some semblance to creating surprises for her super-powered relatives. Clark was pretty good about not peeking. Kara on the other hand… Shaking her head to dismiss the thoughts, she focused on the matter at hand. It was the first night of Chanukah and there were prayers to say and a chanukiah to light. Alex may not be the most religious person ever but, especially after her parents’ death, she tried to keep to the traditions when possible.

She pulled open the kitchen door and managed to wrangle a smile in place in response to the bright ones she received from Martha and Kara. The Kent house was warm and brightly lit. The smell of fried food and oil hung in the air. Alex couldn’t prevent the slight furrow to her brow as she registered the smell. It brought back a wave of memories. Of cooking in the kitchen with her mom after lighting the chanukiah. Of her dad laughing as he tried to start the fireplace the one time of year they pretended they even needed it in Midvale. Of lightly chastising “be mindful of the oil, Alex.”

Kara seemed to notice but also seemed to mistake it for simple confusion. Her smile brightened even more. “We made you latkes! The oil, right?”

Alex cleared her throat, swallowing the disappointment. “Uh, right.” It still hurt knowing she hadn’t been included. She knew they were trying but… she wanted to _help_ them try.

Kara continued to beam and turned to Martha to help load the latkes onto a plate. Alex clenched her jaw but forced herself to continue into the house, repeating _They’re trying, they’re trying_ in her head. Intellectually, she knew that. Emotionally? It was so hard to remember that when the only time anyone in her family seemed to make an effort to include her holiday was when it happened to coincide with theirs. She couldn’t remember the last time any of them had offered to celebrate with her when Chanukah fell earlier in the fall.

“I’m just… going to take my purse upstairs.”

“Of course, honey,” Martha said. “We’ll be waiting when you’re ready.”

With a tight nod, Alex nearly fled up the stairs. Reaching the room she shared with Kara, she sat heavily on the bed, bag dropped carelessly to the floor next to her. She dropped her head into her hands and took a couple deep breaths. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. And she knew, _she knew_ , they were just trying to be supportive and participate. She knew they didn’t understand. That by cutting her out of the process they weren’t really supporting her but co-opting it. And she also knew that she should’ve spoken up years ago, the first time it happened. But she hadn’t because it had been too hard. And now… she couldn’t help but beat herself up for it. And she didn’t feel she could say anything. Because that would just be rude… right?

Taking another deep breath and schooling her features—briefly thanking Director Chase for the extensive lessons in controlling herself—Alex rose and prepared herself to face the rest of her family. Because this was still important to her even if it wasn’t ideal. And, well, they were trying. She supposed that was enough.

She managed to dredge up another smile upon reaching the bottom of the steps. Jonathan, Clark, and Lois had materialized from somewhere and everyone was waiting patiently for her. Steeling herself—feeling more than a little awkward at all the attention as always—she moved over to the chanukiah. It had at least been moved since the party from the place against the wall to the dining room window. Still separate from the rest of the decorations but… it was better.

Clearing her throat a little self-consciously, Alex stood next to the chanukiah and quietly placed the Shamash and first candle. She barely noticed as someone dimmed the lights. Carefully, she lit the Shamash. Then, setting down the lighter, she slowly inhaled and exhaled before softly reciting the blessings. The rest of the family was quiet behind her. She knew if she looked, they would all be watching solemnly. Finishing the blessings, she gently lifted the Shamash and lit the first candle. Replacing the Shamash, Alex stared at the flame for several long moments, letting the memories wash over her. Of past Chanukah’s with her family. Her dad used to sing the blessings—something Alex felt too self-conscious to do now. They made the latkes and sufganiyot after lighting the chanukiah as a family.

Eventually, she lifted her head and turned back to her family with as much of a smile as she could muster. Everyone immediately smiled back and in nearly the same breath, began scattering. Kara to grab the latkes made earlier. Clark to turn the lights back up. Martha and Jonathan to offer a hug—one that Alex returned a little stiffly. Lois mostly just hovered and smiled supportively.

Alex forced herself to eat the latkes with her family, chatting as amicably as possible. She ducked questions about the latkes themselves. They weren’t quite right. Tasty enough but the consistency was all wrong. She could see the food processor sitting out. Definitely not made how she grew up making them. She didn’t expect Kara to remember. They’d only had the one Chanukah together before her parents had died. But still. It hurt, knowing they weren’t right. Knowing that this year, they hadn’t asked her to help. Just made them _for_ her. And she knew she should be grateful. They were trying and she probably should’ve tried harder to educate them at some point. But it was _so hard_. Mourning her own family, trying to do what she knew her parents would want and carry on their legacy and their last wishes of protecting Kara… she’d had a hard time doing it all.

She skillfully dodged questions about what she’d been up to in town, mentioning chatting with Maggie and grabbing a coffee in the vaguest terms. It had the result she’d hoped for, prompting a reminiscing session primarily from Clark and Kara, with Lois chiming in periodically about senior year—her first and only at Smallville High with the rest of them. Alex periodically interjected, mostly to keep the conversation focused off herself.

It didn’t take too much reminiscing for Martha and Jonathan to excuse themselves, leaving the “kids” at the table to chat. Alex mostly listened quietly but after a while she couldn’t help but comment during a lull in the conversation after conversation had turned back to their specific friend group, wording her comment carefully to avoid questions of _her own_ motives, “You know, I thought I remembered that Maggie wanted to be anywhere but here. Vowed to never return to Smallville or something.” It had been on her mind since her conversation with Maggie earlier. The comments about wanting to create communities. And it hadn’t escaped Alex’s notice that Maggie conveniently ignored her comment about big cities.

Clark nodded, smiling affectionately. “She did. Her and Lana both. Wanted to travel the world. I was so glad when Lana found Pierre.” He was off, reminiscing about his ex. Admittedly, it was about how happy he was for her rather than their relationship but still. For her part, Alex pondered the answer. Why had Maggie, who so desperately wanted out of Smallville—and small towns in general, a detail Alex now remembered—returned to become the _Sheriff_ of all things? Why hadn’t she stayed in Metropolis? If she wanted to form communities and help people, both like herself and others… why Smallville? It was hardly the bastion of different people—even granting the meteor infected. So many of them had migrated to other cities, after all, particularly Metropolis.

Alex exchanged mildly exasperated looks with Lois. They both had heard _way_ too much about Lana Lang over the years. Lois far more than Alex though Alex had heard enough even in her limited interactions with Clark. With a forced smile, Alex stood. “I think I’m going to take a walk.”

Everyone waved her off with smiles albeit dimmer ones than before. This was Alex’s ritual every time Chanukah and Christmas coincided. She stayed for a little while after lighting the chanukiah each night of Chanukah then vanished, alone. Ignoring the looks, and the half-spoken requests for her to stay, Alex ducked outside the kitchen door after grabbing her heavier coat from the coat rack. On the porch, she stood for a moment, pulling on the coat and taking a deep breath. She wasn’t overly fond of cold, still being a California girl at heart no matter how much this was allegedly her home, but she had to admit there was something cleansing about the cold. The snow Maggie had said was an above fifty percent chance had begun, falling in soft, silent flakes.

Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Alex stepped off the porch and into the night. She ignored the snow catching in her hair as she paced deeper into the darkness of the farm at large. Eventually, she pulled a beanie from her pocket and yanked it down over her head before flipping up her coat hood. But still she didn’t return, content to meander through the pastures, occasionally stopping to pet the animals.

It was hours later before she finally returned to the main buildings. The lights were off in the house. Only the outside lights remained lit, clearly left on for her benefit. Instead of entering the house, she directed her steps to the barn. The main house Wi-Fi reached Clark’s loft area and Alex settled on the comfortable couch, pulling out her phone. Switching to her secure DEO systems, she began pulling up the basic records for one Maggie Sawyer. Clark found her in the morning, curled up on the couch, phone still clutched in one hand.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve and after politely declining the mostly performative offers to join her family at church, Alex found herself in an empty farmhouse. Sighing in relief, she performed the lighting and blessings for the third day of Chanukah alone, reciting the blessings to no one but the dog. She briefly settled on the couch, relishing the quiet before deciding she didn’t particularly want to be in the house either. There were too many memories here. Too many reminders. And the tree and other Christmas trappings were a bit too present unless she exiled herself to the dining room.

Exiting the house, she briefly considered wandering the farm before deciding against it. Instead, she settled herself into her rental car and headed for town. A brief stop at the one liquor store for a six-pack of beer later, she found herself in the parking lot to the high school. Grinning a little to herself at the thrill of perceived danger, she nearly bounded out of the car. Six pack in one hand and keys in the other, she approached the gym doors. It was the work of seconds to use her key—still attached to her keychain despite the years—to open the door and slip inside. After a silent “thank you” to Principal J’onn, Alex was up in the bleachers, hidden mostly in shadow and sipping the first beer as she contemplated the ceiling.

This had often been her safe haven. At least, when not in Principal J’onn’s office. Or at his wife’s bar (where tragically she was actually relegated to age-appropriate drinks but at least not kicked out for being under-aged). She smiled sardonically at the ceiling and saluted it. How sad was she? Taking refuge in the _principal’s_ office or an empty high school gym. And here she was, how many years later, doing the exact same thing.

She wondered if J’onn would show up. He, of anyone in this town, would expect to find her here. And given she knew that Christmas didn’t exactly hold the same meaning for him and his wife… She sighed a little and took another sip of beer. They’d stayed in touch. After high school he had turned out to be one of the few people she _did_ communicate with frequently from Smallville. Maybe not quite as much as either of them would like given their busy lives but… he was the reason she was even still a functioning member of society. Having Cameron Chase fetch her from the drunk tank and give her an opportunity when nothing else seemed to be going right? All because she’d used her one phone call on the closest thing she had to a father. Sobbing. Barely coherent. But he’d listened and calmed her down. Assured her that he would help. And next thing she knew, she was out and being offered a position at the DEO pending her sobering up and finishing her degrees.

And she had. Now here she was. Several years later. Still “breaking into” the high school gym after hours. But now with a steady job. A purpose. A couple degrees. And at least somewhat less of an inclination to get plastered on this night.

A sound at the door had her turning slightly to see. She wasn’t concerned, assuming it was just J’onn. She watched as the beam of a flashlight cut through the gloom. She hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights, content in the near darkness lit only by the streetlights outside filtering through the high-set gym windows. She frowned as the figure that followed the flashlight through the door was very clearly _not_ J’onn. Sitting up, she tensed, feet braced to propel her to her feet and hand clenched around the bottle, ready to turn it into a makeshift weapon. She might be primarily a scientist but the DEO—and Director Chase particularly—had made sure she knew how to defend herself when the situation called for it.

“Hello?” The figure called out quietly.

Alex relaxed. She recognized that voice. She settled back again and deliberately let her boot scrape along the bleacher.

Instantly, the beam swung her way. “Who’s there?”

Alex squinted in the brightness as it settled on her. Holding up a hand to block it, she drawled, “Fancy seeing you here, Maggie.”

The other woman let out an exasperated breath. “Maybe it should be Sheriff Sawyer right now.”

Alex shrugged, taking a sip of her beer. “Maybe.”

Maggie sighed, Alex could hear it even up in the bleachers. “Really, Danvers? Breaking in _and_ beer?”

“Seemed like a good idea, Sheriff.”

Maggie walked closer. Alex could finally make out the annoyed look on her face. “Mind coming down from there?”

“Kinda do.”

Maggie’s lips tightened. “Danvers…” She drew the name out warningly. “You can’t just go breaking into school buildings.”

Alex sighed and straightened again, deciding to drop the teasing and just tell Maggie the truth. “I—” Before she could continue, another noise at the door had Maggie swinging to face it, hand dropping to her gun, and Alex launching to her feet.

The figure that came through the door this time raised his hands immediately with a wry grin upon being confronted with the two women and the flashlight beam. “It’s just me, Sheriff Sawyer,” Principal J’onn J’onzz’s voice was steady and soothing.

Alex relaxed with a smile, noting the tension also leech out of Maggie’s shoulders. Maggie spoke first, “Evening, Principal. Just catching a rule breaker.”

J’onn smiled a little. “She’s why I’m here.”

Maggie looked over at Alex, who was watching the scene in bemusement. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she looked back at J’onn. “How did you know?”

J’onn walked further into the gym, dropping his hands and slipping them into the pockets of his jeans. “Because she’s here every year. It’s why she has a key.”

Maggie swung back around to face Alex, expression still annoyed. “You have a key? When were you planning on telling me that little tidbit?”

Alex sighed. “I was about to when J’onn showed up.”

Maggie sighed also. “Fine. Obviously not a break in. Catch you later, Danvers. Principal J’onzz.” She was out the door before Alex could stop her.

Alex groaned and dropped back to the bleachers. Seeing the amused look on J’onn’s face she held up a finger at him warningly. “Don’t start.”

He chuckled, walking up the steps and settling on the bench next to her. Swiping a beer from the six pack, he opened it and took a swig before speaking. “Happy Chanukah, Alex.”

She smiled a little, briefly knocking their shoulders together. “Thanks, J’onn.” She paused then continued, “I don’t think I say that enough.”

“You thank me every time.”

“Not about that. Just… in general. Without you… well, I doubt I’d still be around to _celebrate_ Chanukah.”

His expression went solemn. “I’m glad you knew you could rely on me.”

She nodded, smiling again—a little sadly this time—and leaning against him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “So am I.”

They were silent for a few minutes, sipping their beers. Then J’onn spoke quietly, voice gently teasing, “I meant to meet up with you on Sunday, but I saw you out and about with Maggie and didn’t want to interrupt.”

She couldn’t stop the blush and was grateful for the darkness. “We were just… walking.”

“Mhm. You looked happy.”

“I… was. Not sure she’ll talk to me _now_ though.”

He hummed a little. “I sincerely doubt that. Just talk to her and explain. I think you’ll find Sheriff Maggie Sawyer isn’t nearly the surly teen she was in high school.”

Alex laughed a little. “I’m pretty sure you could say that about all of us.”

He grinned. “True. But there are a couple of you that stand out…” He trailed off pointedly and then laughed as she shoved him lightly. “I’m proud of you, Alex. But you also deserve to be happy.”

“I am happy,” she answered immediately. It was an instinctive response.

“I know. But I also know you wish you had someone to share your life with. I know because you’ve _told_ me _and_ M’gann.” He added the last bit quickly, preempting her automatic protest. “At worst, would it _really_ be so bad to have a friend?”

She huffed a little. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

“It’s why I’m a principal.”

She laughed. “A decision I confess I will never quite understand. But one I have to say I’m grateful for.” She straightened, polishing off her beer. “Okay then. Where would I expect to find Sheriff Sawyer after her stop at the school?”

He stood and offered a hand, lightly tugging her to her feet when she accepted. “She usually stops at the Talon for coffee before starting her next circuit.”

“Thanks, J’onn.” She gave him a tight hug. “Keep the beer.”

He chuckled. “As if M’gann doesn’t have enough.” He hugged her back. “We’ll finish it when you come by tomorrow.” It was their tradition. After Christmas day celebrations with the Kents were over, she would join J’onn and his wife M’gann at their place to simply _be_ in someplace that didn’t celebrate _any_ holiday at that time of year. And, of course, once she was old enough, to have a few drinks.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow, J’onn.”

He smiled and waved her off after another quick hug.

* * *

Maggie paused as she entered the Talon. It was mostly empty—unsurprising for Christmas Eve—but there was one patron in particular that stood out. After another second, she continued forward, moving directly to the counter to order. When the barista told her that her coffee had already been paid for, she knew exactly who had done so also. She had to smile wryly in response. Once she had her coffee, she turned back around and found Alex’s gaze resting on her. Knowing she couldn’t very well pretend she hadn’t seen the other woman, she decided to simply get the conversation out of the way.

She strode over to Alex’s table and gazed down at her for several seconds. Alex merely looked back quietly, one hand curled around the half-drunk cup of coffee in front of her, clearly waiting for Maggie to speak first.

Finally, Maggie broke the silent tableau. “You know, I remembered you being a bit of a principal’s pet but that seems to be taking it to a whole new level.” She couldn’t entirely contain the edge in her voice, still annoyed with Alex’s attitude at the school.

Alex sighed and nudged a chair out from the table with her foot. “Sit down and let me explain. Please?”

Maggie hesitated then finished pulling out the offered chair and took a seat. She cocked her head at Alex. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t immediately tell you I had a key. J’onn gave it to me in high school and has never changed the locks.” Maggie’s eyebrow quirked up at the casual reference to the principal. Alex appeared to notice and sighed a little before smiling tightly. “I’ve known J’onn a long time. Since before moving to Smallville actually. He knew my parents. After they died… he became like a second father to me. He knows this time of year, in particular, is rough on me. So he gave me the gym key so I’d have somewhere to go if he wasn’t around.” She shrugged a little. “He never changed the locks and I never gave back the key. So I still go in there on Christmas Eve a lot.”

Maggie softened. “Why?”

Alex arched an eyebrow. “To be somewhere that’s not the farm. Escape all the Christmas that’s everywhere.”

“Seems like you make a habit of that.”

“You would too in my situation.”

“So tell me your situation then,” Maggie challenged.

Alex studied her for several seconds, lips pursed. Finally, she said, “You know what it’s like to feel like you’re the one that doesn’t belong.” Maggie frowned a little and nodded. She had a feeling Alex wasn’t just talking about the gay thing. Alex shrugged a little. “That’s me every Christmas.”

“You don’t like Christmas.”

“I have nothing against _Christmas_.” Alex’s voice was testy.

Maggie shook her head. “I’m not following.”

Alex sighed. “I have nothing against Christmas itself. I have an issue with how everyone else _assumes_ you want Christmas. The baseline assumption that _everyone_ must celebrate this one specific holiday is… frustrating.”

“You don’t celebrate Christmas? But the Kents…” Maggie was baffled now.

“The Kents do. Kara… does. Now. But no. I don’t. Neither did my parents. We’re Jewish.”

“Oh,” Maggie breathed out. The pieces all clicked into place. She felt a bit like an idiot. Like this was somehow something she should’ve known even though she was fairly certain it had never come up. Then she remembered the chanukiah at the Kents. She’d seen it in high school too at the Christmas party. It had simply… never clicked for her that the item _hadn’t_ been there the first year she lived with Lana then appeared the second year once the Danvers moved in with the Kents. She flipped through her memory of the few Kent Christmas parties she’d attended since high school and realized it had rarely been there. And when it was, it was only when Alex was actually in town for the party—which she often wasn’t. “I’m…” She trailed off, unsure what to say.

Alex shrugged and dropped her gaze to her coffee mug, taking a sip then idly trailing her fingertips around the handle. “You don’t have to apologize or something.”

“I feel like I should’ve known this.”

Alex half-smiled. “Perhaps. But, in your defense, I’m not exactly running around screaming it at the top of my lungs. And we don’t have an overabundance of ugly Chanukah sweaters to wear or anything.”

Maggie laughed a little, still feeling a bit self-conscious about how she hadn’t put the pieces together sooner.

“Anyway,” Alex abruptly continued. “It’s harder when the two holidays coincide. No one comes to celebrate with me when they don’t but… it’s still easier.”

“Because at least Christmas isn’t being shoved in your face while you’re trying to celebrate something else,” Maggie commented understandingly.

Alex nodded.

Maggie cocked her head. “Wait… _no one_ comes to celebrate with you if it doesn’t coincide with Christmas?”

Alex shrugged, gaze still firmly fixed on the coffee mug. “J’onn does when he can. But it’s obviously hard with school. The people in my office are great. We’re a pretty diverse bunch and everyone makes sure to at least acknowledge everyone else’s holidays as much as possible. But if you mean my family? No.”

Maggie frowned. “That’s—”

Alex lifted her head and pinned her with an intense gaze, cutting her off. “Fine. It’s fine. It’s not their holiday and they try when I’m here for it.”

“But you—”

“Have never exactly _asked_ any of them to come to National City. It’s _fine_ , Maggie.”

Maggie sighed. It _wasn’t_ fine, in her opinion, but she subsided. It was clear Alex would not hear anything against her family about the situation. She decided to redirect the conversation slightly. “So then tell me more about Chanukah.”

Alex gave her a little disbelieving smile, as if she was surprised to be asked. After a pause, the smile widened and she spent the next several minutes giving Maggie a rundown of the Maccabean Revolt, the miracle of the oil, lighting the chanukiah, and her own family’s traditions.

Maggie listened attentively, loving the way Alex’s face lit up at getting to speak about her own faith and traditions. She asked several questions, making mental notes about the answers. Eventually, Alex wound down and ducked her head, blushing lightly. Maggie smiled, charmed, at the sudden shyness. She knew she was falling for this woman that she’d only spoken with in depth a few times.

Alex lifted her head. “So, what about you?”

“I’m pretty sure you know far more about Christmas than I did about Chanukah,” Maggie replied dryly.

Alex chuckled. “I do. But surely your family has some specific traditions.”

Maggie nodded. “We do. Probably the biggest is having tamales.” Alex cocked her head curiously. Maggie shrugged a little and elaborated. “My father’s family is Mexican. It’s a tradition to have tamales for Christmas. I’m not as good at them as my mother. She learned directly from my grandmother and, well, I ended up here before I had really been taught all the secrets.”

Alex gave her a sympathetic smile but didn’t push. She simply commented, “Sounds tasty.”

Before she could think, Maggie commented, “I’ll have to make them for you one year.”

Alex looked a little surprised but pleased. She responded before Maggie could scramble to try and cover herself. “I’d like that.” They shared a smile and Maggie felt like something had shifted. She wondered if Alex noticed it too. After a moment, Alex asked, “So, tell me some more about what you do here.”

Maggie pondered the question for a moment. “Well, you know Smallville. It’s uh… quieter than Metropolis that’s for sure. Mostly kids getting into trouble. Sometimes the college types coming down for the weekend and getting trashed. Cow tipping.”

Alex snorted then practically buried her face in her coffee. Maggie could still see the smirk, though.

She pursed her lips. “What, Danvers?”

Alex shrugged a little, still smirking. “Just… seems like the exact opposite of what I would’ve expected.”

“And what would you expect, Danvers?” Her question was challenging but she kept her voice light. She was genuinely curious about Alex’s answer.

She tried not to fidget or blush as Alex’s gaze settled on her thoughtfully. Instead, she focused on drinking her coffee.

“Well, while I will admit to having blocked out much of high school, I seem to recall that you were not overly thrilled with small town attractions. Especially farms. And you and Lana always insisted you wanted out of small towns in general. Clearly, you ended up in Metropolis. In the big city like you’d always wanted. From what I understand, you were doing quite well there also. Youngest detective ever on the force. On track to make lieutenant also young. And yet…” Alex spread her hands, leaning back in her chair. “Here you are. Back in Smallville. As the Sheriff.”

Maggie arched an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’ve been doing your homework. Typical fed.”

Alex smirked. “Trust me, Maggie. I am not a typical fed. But,” she inclined her head slightly, “touché. I have done my research. I have no doubts you have done the same.”

Which, okay. Maggie had to concede that point. She definitely had called up some contacts to find out a little more about Alex Danvers, FBI scientist. “Fair enough, Danvers.” She considered the rest of Alex’s words and the implied question. She didn’t _think_ Alex was the type to get excessively defensive of superheroes but one never knew. Carefully, she said, “I did love being in Metropolis. And, you’re right, I never did want to stay in or come back to a small town. At least not permanently. But I also got frustrated with the difficulties of doing my job with certain… extracurricular personnel involved all the time.”

Alex gave a sardonic laugh. “You mean the superheroes that don’t bother to follow protocol? I’m familiar. Fortunately, none have yet chosen to make National City their home.”

“Still, we get our share of interesting people passing through Smallville.”

“Aliens? Or just meteor infected?”

Maggie threw a glance at Alex. “Maybe I just mean interesting people.”

Alex smirked a little. “Maybe so. But somehow I doubt a cop from Metropolis finds the random cross country travelers looking to experience small town Americana all that interesting as compared to other travelers.”

Maggie shrugged. “Maybe. Does it really matter? Deal with either in your line of work?”

Alex nodded. “Both. My department works on a lot of cases dealing with alien and meteor-infected crime. I do a lot of research into both alien and meteor physiology.”

Maggie was impressed. “You get a lot of those sorts of cases?”

Alex shrugged a little. “Enough.” She flashed a teasing grin. “I’d tell you more but then I’d have to kill you.”

Maggie laughed. “Sure, Danvers.”

“So why back to Smallville? Why not another big city if Metropolis wasn’t your thing anymore?”

“Maybe I’ve changed my mind about small towns.”

Alex studied her thoughtfully. “Hmm, no. I don’t think you have.”

“Most big cities have the same problems.”

“But not all.”

“I like it here. Knowing everyone. Helping people you know.”

“You can do that in a big city. I’m sure you did in Metropolis. There’s plenty of positive praise and commendations in your file for your work developing relationships with the community.”

Maggie sighed and looked away. She wasn’t entirely sure how to explain it. Because Alex had a point. She _wasn’t_ really sure why she came back to a small town. She had loved Metropolis until the superheroes just made it too frustrating to do her job. She had loved working particularly with the local alien populations. Helping them fit in, find jobs, get the help they needed. Smallville certainly had its share of both meteor infected and aliens. But it wasn’t really a place where her particular skills in helping those communities adjust and helping humans come around to them were needed. The people here were already pretty accepting, having had both communities living among them for years.

Well, if she was being honest, Emily played a large role in that decision also. Being dumped by a girlfriend of five years, even if things had been rocky for a while, certainly didn’t make Metropolis feel like a place she wanted to stay.

Finally, she said, “It was the right decision at the time. I wanted some place I could center and focus on the little things.”

Alex nodded and didn’t push further.

Maggie looked at her watch and sighed. “Unfortunately, I need to get back to my circuit. It was nice chatting with you again though. Thanks for the coffee, Danvers.”

“Well, it was my turn after all.” Alex smiled warmly. “I had fun, too. Be careful out there with the dangerous cow tippers.” Alex smirked a little.

Maggie chuckled and hesitated, wondering if she should touch Alex in some way. Finally she just sort of awkwardly tapped the table in a form of goodbye and left. She thought she felt Alex’s gaze on her as she walked away but when she half turned at the door, Alex’s attention was firmly on her coffee cup. Sighing, Maggie headed for her cruiser. Every time she talked with the woman she felt vaguely unsettled. She just wanted to keep talking to her. Learn more about Alex Danvers. Alex challenged her in a way no one, particularly none of her girlfriends, ever had. And she craved it. She just wasn’t sure what to do about it. She also wasn’t entirely certain she hadn’t just had a second—or maybe first?—date with the woman.

* * *

Christmas itself came and went relatively peaceably. It had become a pretty low key affair in recent years now that the kids were grown. And since Martha and Jonathan weren’t the type to harass their kids about starting families or dating, dinner rarely had any major disagreements. Gifts were exchanged in the morning with dinner around midafternoon. After that, as per usual, Alex ducked out to spend the evening with J’onn and M’gann once the chanukiah was lit. Normally Alex then left town the day after. This year, however, she’d found a great deal on flights but it required her to stay until Friday. She wasn’t honestly sure exactly what she was going to do with an entire extra day in Smallville.

That dilemma was solved for her when Kara excitedly insisted they all go ice skating in the afternoon. Apparently, it was a tradition that Alex normally missed out on. Alex figured it wasn’t the worst way to spend part of a day. In the morning, she amicably joined the rest of them on a trip to town for day after Christmas shopping and coffee. She was far more interested in the latter.

Which was how she found herself sipping coffee in the Talon for the third time on this trip and wishing that, like the previous times, she was sharing it with a certain Sheriff rather than her family. Kara, Lois, and Clark were all talking animatedly about something work related. Alex let her attention drift, gazing absently around the coffee shop. The jingle of the door caught her attention and she glanced over. An involuntary smile curved her lips as she recognized Maggie entering the shop with Lana.

Absently, she murmured, “I’ll be back” at her cousins and stood.

Maggie seemed to sense her approach and turned when Alex got close, face breaking into a warm smile. “Danvers, hey.”

“Hey.”

“Wasn’t sure you’d still be in town.”

Alex shrugged. “Normally I’m not. But this year I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Oh. What are you up to today then?”

Alex waved a hand vaguely in the direction of her family. “They wanted to shop and grab coffee. We’re apparently ice skating at the lake later.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Are you working today?”

“Nah. Since I took the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day shifts, I get today off.”

“Oh.” Alex paused, biting back her immediate desire to invite Maggie. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to power forward. “Would you like to join us? Ice skating I mean.”

“You and me?”

“Yeah.”

Maggie gave her a curious smile then asked, voice deliberate, “As in… a date?”

Alex nodded, not backing down. They’d basically been on two dates already. She wanted to do at least one that was official before she had to leave. “Yes.”

Maggie’s smile brightened, dimples deepening. “I’d love to.”

Alex tugged her phone from her pocket. “Well, then guess I need your number so I can let you know what time.”

Maggie chuckled softly. “Smooth, Danvers.”

Alex just smirked and held out her phone for Maggie to input her details. Once she had done so, Alex sent a quick text so Maggie would have her number as well. Looking up as she tucked her phone back in her pocket, Alex commented, “Looks like Lana’s waiting for you.”

Maggie grinned a little. “Your family has been watching us since you came over here.”

Alex groaned and rolled her eyes. “Of course they have.”

Maggie just laughed. “I’ll see you later this afternoon.”

“Looking forward to it.”

With another smile, Alex turned and headed back to her cousins. A glare prevented Clark and Kara from asking questions. Lois had no such compunctions. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t look like nothing.”

“Lois…” Alex said warningly.

Lois just smiled charmingly. “I’m just saying. I think Maggie Sawyer is a great choice.” Clark and Kara both nodded in agreement.

Alex rolled her eyes and focused on her coffee. She couldn’t entirely stop the pleased smile from tugging at the corner of her lips though. Lois seemed to sense that anymore teasing would result in Alex pulling away completely, however, and dropped the topic, turning back to something about the Daily Planet with Clark and Kara. Alex had no doubts it would come up again, though.

It didn’t until they were at the lake, however. As soon as Lois saw Maggie getting out of her car, she turned to Alex. “Oh, so is this a double date now? Is Kara fifth-wheeling?”

Alex sighed and ignored her, walking over to meet Maggie. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Maggie’s smile was bright. She carried a pair of ice skates over her shoulder. “So does this count as a first date or a third?”

Alex chuckled. “Wow, trying to jump ahead, huh, Sawyer?”

“Well, you know there’s a significant difference in the two.” Maggie winked but her smile clearly showed she wasn’t serious.

Alex laughed and shook her head. “It could only be a second date anyway.”

“Why’s that?”

Alex smirked and leaned closer, murmuring in Maggie’s ear, “Because we already agreed the first one wasn’t a date. So keep it in your pants, Sawyer.” As she pulled away, she was certain she could see a blush on Maggie’s cheeks, nearly concealed between the cold and Maggie’s skin color.

Maggie’s eyes were twinkling as she caught Alex’s gaze. “Touché, Danvers,” she murmured back.

To Alex’s relief, when they turned back to the others, her cousins and sister were _not_ watching. Instead, they had moved down to the lake proper and were in the process of putting on ice skates. The glances each of them kept shooting her way made it obvious they had been paying attention, but at least they weren’t staring. It abruptly occurred to her that none of her family had ever met anyone she’d dated since coming out. She’d barely tolerated the few erstwhile “boyfriends” she’d had in high school before giving up on dating entirely by senior year. She imagined it had to be a little strange for them to see her interact with someone she was _actually_ attracted to.

Ignoring the obvious questions and amused looks, Alex looked out over the frozen lake. “The ice look good?” she asked.

Clark nodded. “Yep. Kara and I checked it out.” She knew that meant “checked it out and used super breath to reinforce the ice.”

“Great.” She flashed a brief smile before settling next to Maggie to tug on her own pair of skates. After tightening the laces, Alex stood carefully and automatically held out a hand to help Maggie up.

Maggie smiled warmly up at her, taking her hand and allowing Alex to pull her to her feet. “How chivalrous,” she teased gently.

Alex smiled a little. “Well, I try.”

Maggie laughed softly and squeezed Alex’s hand which she hadn’t dropped. “Successfully. Shall we?” At Alex’s concurring nod, Maggie readjusted her grip and used their joined hands to tug Alex toward the ice.

Laughing, Alex allowed herself to be pulled along. She noticed Lois’ pointed look at their joined hands but ignored it, choosing to focus on staying on her feet and the woman she was skating with.

Another family apparently had the same idea—a mom and two children—and joined them at the lake only a few minutes later.

Automatically, Alex sized them up quickly. They appeared human and seemed content to remain to themselves so she returned her attention to her own date. Maggie seemed happy enough for the moment to just hold hands and skate and Alex was more than happy to do the same.

Kara, on the other hand, had already gotten bored of simply skating and was trying to convince Clark to race her. Lois was egging them on.

Alex dismissed their antics from her mind. After all, it wasn’t like they could hurt themselves. She had just turned back to Maggie, intent on starting a conversation when a scream pulled everyone’s attention. Alex took in the scene in an instant. The scream had apparently come from the mother and the hole in the ice in front of her clearly told why. Alex didn’t even have a chance to move before Kara was there, diving into the water while Clark comforted the mother.

Kara appeared only seconds later, racing to the shore with the child that had fallen in. “Alex!”

Alex wasn’t even conscious of beginning to move. She sped across the ice to Kara’s side, dimly aware of the others following. “We need a fire, Kara.”

“On it. Clark!”

“Got it.” Clark vanished, reappearing in seconds with an armload of wood.

“She’s Starhavenite,” Kara said.

 _Oh._ That explained why she called for Alex first instead of Clark. While the Kryptonians got the fire going—and Alex didn’t even care at the moment _how_ they did it—she focused on the child. Starhavenite adults were durable. Children on the other hand… not so much, similar to humans. There were also a few quirks in their biology that Alex needed to take into account in order to treat the possibility of hypothermia.

“There’s a first aid kit in my bag.” She didn’t even have to add more before the kit was next to her courtesy of Kara. “Thanks,” she murmured absently. Opening it, she tugged out the stethoscope first and set to work to make sure the kid wouldn’t suffer any lasting impact. Kara’s quick save would stand her in good stead for sure.

It didn’t take long for the kid to be awake and ensconced in a blanket by the fire. Alex stood and stepped back, absently brushing her hands together as she surveyed the scene. The mother thanked her profusely and she deflected the thanks awkwardly until the woman hurried over to sit with her children. Quietly, Alex crouched down to reassemble her kit. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a gentle hand landed on her back.

She looked over to find Maggie watching her with a soft expression. Quietly, Maggie spoke, her voice seeming to create a bubble around just the two of them, “That was amazing, Alex.”

Alex blushed and looked back down at her kit, fiddling with the strap. “I guess.” She stood and Maggie stood with her, hand remaining in place.

“No, really,” Maggie insisted.

Alex looked over again with a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Also… you’re DEO, huh?”

Alex frowned, suddenly wary. She took a step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I saw your badge. And, well, even FBI scientists aren’t _that_ versed in how to _treat_ aliens.”

Alex sighed. “Damn.” So much for this potential relationship. Every cop she knew had a chip on their shoulder the size of a boulder about the DEO.

“I’m not mad.”

Alex blinked. “You’re not?”

Maggie looked at her like she was crazy. “Of course not. I understand how these things work, Danvers. And I know how to keep a secret. Besides, I already knew about the DEO from my work in Metropolis. Though, I gotta say, no DEO agents I’ve ever met were quite as beautiful as you.” She grinned.

Alex felt the blush deepen but smiled back. “Yeah, well, you’re definitely sexier than most cops I’ve met.”

“Only most?”

Alex chuckled. “Well…” She dodged the playful swipe. “Okay, okay. Any.” She paused, sobering. “You’re sure you’re not mad?”

“Positive. Besides, seems like you’ve been in the secret keeping business for a while, hm? It’s hard to hold it against you all things considered.”

Alex looked at her in confusion. “What?” Maggie nodded past her. Alex turned to see Kara and Clark talking quietly with the mother while Lois entertained the kid that hadn’t fallen into the lake. She turned back to Maggie, still confused. “I still don’t understand.”

“Your cousin and sister. Being aliens. I can’t imagine you’re very fond of revealing much of anything to people when you have to keep that secret.”

“Shit,” Alex breathed out, closing her eyes.

“Alex.”

Her eyes snapped open.

“I’m not going to tell anyone. I get it. Besides, the glasses really don’t help. I’m more upset I didn’t see it before.”

Alex sighed. “I’ve told them that but… they are stubborn.”

“I can imagine.” She looked past Alex at the family again. “The kid going to be okay?”

Alex half-turned so she could look also and nodded. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. Fortunately, she wasn’t under long.”

“Good thing you were here then, huh?”

Alex looked back at Maggie and found her smiling warmly. She smiled a little in return. “I guess so.”

Maggie gave her an amused smile. “Not so great at taking compliments, are you?”

Alex shrugged a little self-consciously but didn’t reply. The answer was obvious enough anyway. She looked down in mild surprise as Maggie took her hand again, squeezing it.

“Guess I’ll just need to keep saying them until you are.”

Alex smiled sadly at their joined hands then looked back up at Maggie. “Maggie… I have to go back to National City. You know that.”

Maggie’s answering smile was also a little sad but determined. “I do. But… I also know that I really like you, Alex. So… I don’t know what comes next. Can we just enjoy today?”

“Yeah. We can do that.”

Kara calling their names caused them both to move so they could look over at her curiously. Alex noticed the family had left, leaving just their small group alone at the lake once more. Once she saw she had their attention, Kara said, “Clark and I are going to fix the ice. Are you guys going to stay?”

Alex looked over at Maggie and received a nod with a smile. She looked back at Kara. “Yeah, we are.”

“Great!” Kara beamed then hurried off with Clark to repair the hole in the ice. Once that had been done, the group resumed skating. Kara eventually convinced Clark to race now that they didn’t need to hide their powers from Maggie.

Alex just shook her head at their antics with a small smile and was happy enough to simply skate with Maggie, holding hands once more. She felt her return to National City looming over them in a way that it hadn’t before now that it had been given voice. She was determined to ignore it, however, and focus on enjoying the date.

Eventually the shadows got too long for the humans to safely skate and they retreated to the shore. Kara built back up the fire while Clark sped into town for hot chocolate. The group sat around the fire on a few logs that were always on the beach for that purpose. They mostly sipped their hot chocolate in silence, watching darkness fall over the lake.

Finally, Lois, Clark, and Kara decided to leave for dinner. Alex waved them off and said she would be home later. Once silence had fallen again, she turned to Maggie who was smiling teasingly. “I thought this was only date two.”

Alex rolled her eyes but laughed. “Shut it, Sawyer. Unless you’d _rather_ only have a group date.”

Maggie laughed. “Definitely not.”

Alex moved closer, wrapping the blanket she’d scrounged up from Clark’s truck around Maggie’s shoulders. The other woman snuggled closer and they lapsed back into silence. As the fire died down, Alex directed her gaze upward, watching the stars. Eventually, she spoke quietly, “Look, Cassiopeia.”

“Where?”

Alex freed an arm from the blanket and pointed, tracing the outline of the constellation in the air. It had been a new moon just the night before and with the fire dimming, the stars were bright. “And just there, Pegasus. And then Andromeda and Perseus.” Quietly, she continued pointing out the constellations, slowly guiding Maggie through the stars as the fire faded into almost nothing and the Milky Way became visible.

“Wow,” Maggie breathed. “I always forget just how bright the stars are out here. Usually I’m in my cruiser or town and there’s too much light.”

“Yeah. So do I.” Alex smiled wistfully. “They were bright in Midvale too. My dad kept a telescope on the deck outside. He taught me all about the stars as a kid.”

“He sounds great.”

“He really was.”

Maggie was quiet for a few minutes, gazing at the stars. Eventually, she broke the silence again. “I thought mine was. We were close when I was a kid. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.” She sighed and nestled closer to Alex. Alex wasn’t even sure she realized she had done it. “And then, he found out I was gay and it was like a light switch. The dad I’d thought was so wonderful was gone and in his place was a man who _hated_ everything about me. Took me to the bus station in the snow and shipped me off to Nell. I haven’t heard from him or anyone else in that part of the family since.”

Alex tightened her arms around Maggie, resettling the one she’d freed to point at the stars so she was hugging the other woman close. “You didn’t deserve that.”

“I know. Now anyway.”

Alex nodded. After another few moments, she tentatively stated, “Nell and Lana seem great, though.”

She heard the smile in Maggie’s voice as she replied, “They are. They knew from the start the why. But they never cared. They made Smallville more a home for me than Blue Springs ever was, for all I still wanted out of small towns.”

“They’re why you came back.” It wasn’t a question.

“A large part of it, yeah.”

Alex nodded and refrained from sighing. It would figure. She found the woman she thought might just be perfect for her and… that woman wanted to live in Smallville. As much as Alex could be social with her family when the occasion called for it, she could never live here again. Not that her job would really allow that anyway. National City was her home and she would be heading back there in the morning.

Pushing the thoughts away, she focused back on the moment, determined to make the best of it. She looked down at Maggie and found the other woman already looking up at her with a gentle smile. Like a magnet, Alex was drawn to her. Slowly, she reached up to tenderly tuck a lock of hair behind Maggie’s ear. Settling her hand on the other woman’s cheek, she edged closer. She flicked a glance at Maggie’s lips briefly before meeting her gaze again, silently asking.

It was Maggie who closed the final gap, gently pressing her lips against Alex’s. Slowly, their lips moved against one another’s. The kiss deepened, tongues moving in a lazy dance. Eventually, they broke apart and Alex’s eyes slowly opened. “Wow.”

Maggie broke into a dazzling smile. “Yeah.”

Alex smiled back then pulled Maggie into another kiss. They made out slowly, neither sure of how much time was passing, both acutely aware that this interlude would end all too soon.

Finally, it was late enough that they could no longer ignore it. Reluctantly, they made their way to Maggie’s car and she drove them to the Kent farm in silence. Stopped in front of the house, Alex turned to Maggie. “Maggie, I—”

Maggie smiled, stopping her. “I know. It’s okay, Alex.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Being here.” Alex laughed a little, barely more than a puff of air. “Existing. You made the holidays, what’s the phrase, merry and bright?”

Maggie laughed. “That was cheesy.”

Alex grinned and nodded. “Yes. But it made you smile.”

“Yeah, it did.”

They gazed at each other quietly for several minutes before Alex finally leaned in for a final kiss. It was almost chaste and as she pulled away she whispered against Maggie’s lips, “Goodbye, Maggie.”

“Safe travels, Alex.”

Alex nodded and exited the car before she could do or say anything stupid. She watched as Maggie’s car drove away then entered the house. It was the first time in years—probably ever—that the prospect of leaving Smallville actually made her sad.

* * *

Monday night found Alex in her apartment in National City sitting on her balcony and staring absently at the setting sun. Soon she would need to go inside and say the blessings and light the chanukiah for the final night of Chanukah. But for now, she sat and thought about Maggie and wondered. She _knew_ that she couldn’t stay in Smallville. There was no way both personally and professionally. But she also couldn’t deny that she wished the two locations were somehow closer together so that maybe there could be hope.

She sighed and stood, heading inside to prepare. A knock at the door just as she crossed the balcony threshold made her pause, looking at the door in confusion. She _never_ had visitors. Most of her coworkers didn’t even know where she lived. And she didn’t have any friends in National City except the sort in her building that you see enough to say “hi” to and ask about their day but nothing more. Grabbing the pistol she kept in the apartment, she headed for the door, peering through the peephole.

The sight that confronted her made her freeze. Another knock jarred her into motion. Setting the gun on the table by the door, she flew through the locks and practically yanked the door open. She knew her voice was breathless when she spoke but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

“Maggie.”

“Hey, Danvers.” Maggie smiled, expression a little shy and hesitant. “I uh, hope it’s okay that I’m here?”

Alex pulled herself out of her trance. “What? Yes, of course! Come in.” She moved aside and waved Maggie through the door. “Why… what… what are you doing here?”

She only noticed Maggie was carrying bags when the other woman set them on the kitchen island. Maggie turned back to her, hands fidgeting nervously. “I just… I really needed to see you and talk to you.” Alex nodded encouragingly. “Here’s the thing. I just, I went back to Smallville for a reason. And then I met you and… I kind of forgot what that reason was. Because you were right. I went to Metropolis because I wanted to be able to help more people and more varied people. I was so stupid. I went to Smallville because I got frustrated. And maybe because I was running away from something. And I forgot who I am—who I want to be.”

Alex made a mental note to come back to that later but didn’t speak, letting Maggie continue.

“But, uh, life is too short. And we should be who we are. And we should kiss the girls we want to kiss. And I just… I want to kiss you. I just…”

Alex had barely registered the words before Maggie’s lips were on hers. Instinctively, she returned the kiss, hands coming up to pull Maggie closer. After a moment, though, her mind caught up and she pulled back. She waited for Maggie’s eyes to open and had to smile a little at the quizzical look. “What about your job? Maggie, I _can’t_ be the reason you left a job you love.”

“You aren’t. Well, you’re the impetus but… the job I _really_ loved was what I had in Metropolis. And will have again here.”

Alex gave her a stunned look.

Maggie laughed a little and reached up to gently run a thumb between Alex’s eyebrows, smoothing away a confused crinkle she hadn’t even realized was there. “I have a friend here. Renee. She told me about an open lieutenant’s position in the Science Division. I submitted my application Friday. I interview on Thursday.”

“That’s… that’s wonderful.” Alex breathed out. “I have no doubt you’ll get it.”

“Alex Danvers don’t you dare go pulling some DEO strings.”

Alex laughed, pulling Maggie in for a brief, joyful kiss. “I won’t. I just have faith in you. I’ve seen your file and I know the qualifications for that specific job. They would be foolish not to hire you.”

“I hope you’re right.” Maggie grinned then looked at the window. “I believe you have some candles to light? And then, um, I hope it’s not too late in the holiday but I brought the ingredients that the internet said were required for latkes and sufganiyot. I thought… maybe we could make them? Together?”

Alex stared at her in shock for several seconds. The growing concern, bordering on fear, in Maggie’s eyes eventually registered. Shaking her head silently, too overwhelmed to speak, she simply pulled Maggie into a tight hug. She felt Maggie’s arms come around her, clinging tightly. Burying her face in Maggie’s hair for a moment, she whispered, “Thank you.”

“Happy Chanukah, Alex,” Maggie whispered back.

* * *

**December 10, 2020**

Alex pursed her lips as she stared at the item in her fiancée’s hand. “I am _not_ wearing that.”

“I already have mine on! You have to!”

“Maggie…”

Maggie just smiled brightly and pushed the sweater closer to Alex. “Come on, babe. You know you want to. Wasn’t it you who mentioned the dearth of ugly Chanukah sweaters?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts. Put it on!”

Alex sighed, putting all her training into force to keep from giving in and grinning at the glee on her fiancée’s face. Making a show of being annoyed, she pulled the white sweater over her head. Ruefully, she looked down at the front. The top and lower border both contained dreidels as well as beer mugs and martini glasses. In the center there was a chanukiah and wine glasses. The sweater declared, in large blue lettering “Let’s Get Shamashed.” She lost the battle after a few seconds and had to laugh.

“This is ridiculous, babe.”

“It is.” Maggie nodded solemnly before breaking into another grin. “Which is why it’s perfect.”

Alex laughed and tugged her into a kiss. “ _You’re_ ridiculous.”

“But you love me.”

“I do. I really do.” Alex looked down at the sweaters again with another chuckle. “We should send one to J’onn.”

“Already done.”

Alex laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Happy Chanukah, Alex.”


End file.
